Combustion Behaviour of Fabric and Polyurethane Flexible foam Mock-up Combinations under Cone Calorimetry Test Conditions

The relative contributions of fabric and foam on important fire hazard parameters as measured in the cone calorimeter were determined for various mock-up combinations. Three commercial types of high resilience PU flexible slabstock foams, representing a wide range of combustion performance, were combined with three different fabrics; viz. polyester, polypropylene and combustion modified cotton. Total heat release of the combinations correspond well with the value calculated from the individual components and is determined by the density and effective heat of combustion of the components, and the foam/fabric weight ratio. The foams show a smaller variation in effective heat of combustion than the fabrics. Covering of PU flexible foams with a fabric results in general in a delay of ignition and peak rate of heat release. Performance of the mock-ups is mainly determined by the fabric but also influenced by the quality of the foam.